GREENE COUNTY — Students at Sinclair Community College, Wright State University, and Central State University will be able to enhance their education and job preparedness in many fields thanks to funding approved by the state Controlling Board to purchase state-of-the-art equipment.
“(Wright State’s) proposed cyber-enabled interactive and virtual reality training program will give the new generation of workers the requisite experience that (our company) seeks – the experience in remotely specifying the machine control parameters and producing parts,” said Anil Chaudhary, president of Fairborn-based Applied Optimization.
Sinclair was able to secure $93,152 in funding, Wright State $538,562, and Central State $96,854 by partnering with area business and higher-education stakeholders. Governor John Kasich and the legislature targeted $8 million in the state capital budget to assist Ohio’s public universities, community colleges, and career technical centers in providing the most up-to-date education possible in an effort to provide a skilled workforce for in-demand jobs.
The latest round of funding, $1.9 million, will allow for the purchase of equipment in information technology, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, and health care, to be utilized across the state. The purchases are funded by the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s Regionally Aligned Priorities in Delivering Skills (RAPIDS) program.
“RAPIDS has brought each region of Ohio together to address their most urgent workforce needs and give traditional and nontraditional students pathways to good-paying jobs in their communities,” said Department of Higher Education Chancellor John Carey. “I congratulate all those involved, who demonstrate that collaborating in this way provides more opportunities for students and strengthens Ohio’s economy.”
